Tax arrears in Greece over the last four years increased by roughly 30 billion euros, despite the fact that the Independent Public Revenues Authority collected up to 20 billion euros from previous arrears via an "avalanche" of confiscations against income, assets and depositors of taxpayers owing money to the tax bureau.
Tax arrears in Greece over the last four years increased by roughly 30 billion euros, despite the fact that the Independent Public Revenues Authority collected up to 20 billion euros from previous arrears via an "avalanche" of confiscations against income, assets and depositors of taxpayers owing money to the tax bureau.
Specifically, over the 2015-2018 period, total tax arrears increased by 30.15 billion euros, or 40.6 percent from the 74.21 billoin euros recorded on Dec. 1, 2014. As of Jan. 1, 2019, arrears to the state from back taxes reached 104.36 billion euros.
Over the same period, tax authorities engaged in confiscations against assets, incomes and deposits of around 600,000 taxpayers in the country. Taxpayers with arrears to the tax bureau also used 12 to 24-month installment plans to cover their debts, along with withholding of tax rebates for arrears. As such, the tax bureau collected 19.78 billion euros in arrears.